Thailand third for digital nomads, fourth for retirees

I think that Thailand as a land to retire has lost it. The news about the people who have bought a house here with the advice of company to buy the ground was in the news all over the world. It was not positive and another issue will be that Thailand is very expensive country for tax. Taxes are high and there are no benefits. And than of course there all the restrictions, as 90 days reporting, address notifications, no vaping, no volunteer work ( I know people will say if you retired you don't work, but some one can and like to do something more than drinking coffee and shopping), air pollution, dangerous roads and very expensive imported goods. And of course at this moment the drugs issues.It is not affecting at the moment for retirees, but we all know that drugs will bring crimes too. Just a few things that are at the negative side. Positive is the possibility of a 1 year visa, and the good food .

If the government wants that people stay longer they have do something that makes it worth, as for now i only see people leaving as there are better options to retire.

Edited 5 hours ago5 hr by ikke1959

54 minutes ago, ikke1959 said:

I think that Thailand as a land to retire has lost it.

Ok, but that means nothing. What you think was already refuted in the news you commented on. If you want, we can compare what you base your thinking on vs what evidence the news and what Rumavi Global Relocation Index base their figures on. Maybe, then you will be able to sort your fiction from the real world.

Great, another thread where moaning old gits can complain about Thailand, yet do nothing about it and stay here.

Many used to say they were off to Cambodia, then realised it’s a real <deleted>hole, now the chat is about Viet Nam, but I dont see the numbers leaving.

Rumavi carried out the survey. As with all these surveys i take it with a pinch of salt.

Edited 2 hours ago2 hr by DonniePeverley

Thailand is fine for retirees other than some of of the retirees. The ones that can't figure out how to report online every 90 days or can't grasp why a country would want to know where its non-citizens are located.

2 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

I think that Thailand as a land to retire has lost it. The news about the people who have bought a house here with the advice of company to buy the ground was in the news all over the world. It was not positive and another issue will be that Thailand is very expensive country for tax. Taxes are high and there are no benefits. And than of course there all the restrictions, as 90 days reporting, address notifications, no vaping, no volunteer work ( I know people will say if you retired you don't work, but some one can and like to do something more than drinking coffee and shopping), air pollution, dangerous roads and very expensive imported goods. And of course at this moment the drugs issues.It is not affecting at the moment for retirees, but we all know that drugs will bring crimes too. Just a few things that are at the negative side. Positive is the possibility of a 1 year visa, and the good food .

If the government wants that people stay longer they have do something that makes it worth, as for now i only see people leaving as there are better options to retire.

Please explain the actual numbers :)
Foreign Nationals on Retirement Visas in Thailand

Reality is much different than what is going on in your head ;) Too many are coming and not enough are leaving IMO.

21 minutes ago, atpeace said:

Please explain the actual numbers :)
Foreign Nationals on Retirement Visas in Thailand

2019	~79,000	Pre-pandemic peak under existing immigration guidelines.
2020	~56,000	Initial COVID-19 drop due to border closures and travel barriers.
2021	52,040	Continued pandemic lull and tightening of mandatory health insurance rules for O-A visas.
2022	~80,000	Border reopening and surge in post-pandemic relocations.
2023	126,654	73.5% jump from 2018; reported by UN Network on Migration in Thailand.
2024–2025	130,000+ (est.)	Ongoing growth, alongside alternative long-stay tracks (LTR, Privilege, DTV).

Reality is much different than what is going on in your head ;) Too many are coming and not enough are leaving IMO.

so the figures of 2024/2025 are not known yet??? estimated 130.000 for both years that is 65k a year?? I only speak with foreigners who are staying here along time already and who are leaving now and several have left already... But maybe you have different contacts.. I only can speak for my own...and what I read is the LTR is not going as they wanted, and the DTV is also an issue...

And according to your post 2019/2020 and 2022 there were less .. If I search the internet I can find that about 6 to7000 LTR visa there were in 2025 and about 35k and80k retirement visa, and for 2025/early 2026 LTR 8450/8500 visa were approved and about estimated 100k to 150k retirees are living in Thailand now, although the Thai Immigration did not give the numbers but that is for 2025/early 2026 too.

2 minutes ago, ikke1959 said:

so the figures of 2024/2025 are not known yet??? estimated 130.000 for both years that is 65k a year?? I only speak with foreigners who are staying here along time already and who are leaving now and several have left already... But maybe you have different contacts.. I only can speak for my own...and what I read is the LTR is not going as they wanted, and the DTV is also an issue...

And according to your post 2019/2020 and 2022 there were less .. If I search the internet I can find that about 6 to7000 LTR visa there were in 2025 and about 35k and80k retirement visa, and for 2025/early 2026 LTR 8450/8500 visa were approved and about estimated 100k to 150k retirees are living in Thailand now, although the Thai Immigration did not give the numbers but that is for 2025/early 2026 too.

People say a lot of things but the numbers IMO are growing too fast. You brought up 2022 for some reason. You must know that was a Covid year? Anyhow the number in 2023 were 80% higher than the pre covid peak and have remained steady to increasing. Thailand has a big competitor in Vietnam but more people are travelling than ever before so Thailand's Expat numbers will remain solid.

I was 1 of 2 expats in my area 6 years ago and now there are around 7-10. Thailand definitely doesn't have a declining expat community issue. How old are you? Older expats do seem to return home because of health issues and given time Thailand can lose its shine :)

Edited 1 hour ago1 hr by atpeace

8 minutes ago, atpeace said:

People say a lot of things but the numbers IMO are growing too fast. You brought up 2022 for some reason. You must know that was a Covid year? Anyhow the number in 2023 were 80% higher than the pre covid peak and have remained steady to increasing. Thailand has a big competitor in Vietnam but more people are travelling than ever before so Thailand's Expat numbers will remain solid.

I was 1 of 2 expats in my area 6 years ago and now there are around 7-10. Thailand definitely doesn't have a declining expat community issue. How old are you? Older expats do seem to return home because of health issues and given time Thailand can lose its shine :)

I only refer to the numbers you have given...and I searched on the internet for the years 2024 and 2025... By the way the lockdown of Covid was early 2020...In Thailand we are still in Covid years.. It is the nonly country that keeps on wearing masks and get news about Covid

1 minute ago, ikke1959 said:

I only refer to the numbers you have given...and I searched on the internet for the years 2024 and 2025... By the way the lockdown of Covid was early 2020...In Thailand we are still in Covid years.. It is the nonly country that keeps on wearing masks and get news about Covid

OK, but the numbers I provided show a 80% increase the last couple of years vs the pre covid peak. How does that equal people leaving?

If you think Thailand has gotten too expensive in recent years, I suggest a sojourn to your former home country.

Might be an eye opener, or wallet opener

Do any of these other countries mentioned have foreign income tax exemption like Thailand's 5/10 year BoI LTR-P visa? Not really familiar with most of them - I know Portugal used to offer tax free, then changed to a low tax cap, but then dropped them entirely and retirees pay global income tax there. Not sure about the others.

1 hour ago, ikke1959 said:

so the figures of 2024/2025 are not known yet??? estimated 130.000 for both years that is 65k a year?? I only speak with foreigners who are staying here along time already and who are leaving now and several have left already... But maybe you have different contacts.. I only can speak for my own...and what I read is the LTR is not going as they wanted, and the DTV is also an issue...

And according to your post 2019/2020 and 2022 there were less .. If I search the internet I can find that about 6 to7000 LTR visa there were in 2025 and about 35k and80k retirement visa, and for 2025/early 2026 LTR 8450/8500 visa were approved and about estimated 100k to 150k retirees are living in Thailand now, although the Thai Immigration did not give the numbers but that is for 2025/early 2026 too.

But as some leave, new ones inevitably turn up.

1 hour ago, atpeace said:

OK, but the numbers I provided show a 80% increase the last couple of years vs the pre covid peak. How does that equal people leaving?

I don't know, but I spoke to several people who left already and others are planning it. That there will be others.... Of course, but at this moment i am wondering how many don't need to an agency to extend or stay in Thailand. The crackdown on foreigners will show it..